What do you think of when you think of winter? Is it a stressful imagining or a peaceful one? Cozy? Uncomfortable? Necessary? With the inevitable approach of colder months, many of our memories or associations with the season - good or bad - are bound to be emphasized by the ongoing COVID pandemic. Author Katherine May invites us to embrace this winter with all that it has to offer. And May doesn't just mean the season, but rather the "fallow period in life when you're cut off from the world, feeling rejected, sidelined, blocked from progress, or cast into the role of the outsider." Sounds fairly familiar at the moment, right? We're struggling for community in ways that many of this generation could never have anticipated. In 'Wintering', May gives us a playbook and philosophy to handle our own personal winters. Beautifully written, May was inspired to share her experiences from her own periods of winter and what she has learned from the radical act of real self-care (i.g. getting enough sleep, being restful, and generally slowing down our routines to combat the workaholic culture). May fearlessly combats the wave of toxic positivity - a newly morphed Instagramable version of bootstrap mentality - that has taken over many of the books that attempt to discuss our reactions to stress. What one can instead expect from 'Wintering' is a guide that is more akin to sharing a coffee with a friend than reading a self-help book. 'Wintering' is difficult to place into any one genre. It is the type of British narrative nonfiction I love and is reminiscent in tone and style to the introspection found in Helen Macdonald's H is for Hawk. Like Macdonald, May reminds us that opting out of misery isn't an option. Instead we must embrace it and learn from it. May doesn't just look at weathering personal winters, she turns her pen to the anthropological and the historical as she examines how other cultures and creatures prepare for winter. May seeks out the peace and solace found in nature's winter. Observing everything from the hibernating nests of dormice, wolf dens, and the survival tactics of bees, to the practice of ice swimming, the wonder of the northern lights, and the frigid cold of the Arctic Circle and how those who choose to live there embrace winter. Casting her net wide a little closer to home, May writes about different spiritual practices that welcome winter; such as attending the winter equinox celebration at Stonehenge, discussing the rituals of winter with her Finnish friends, and evaluating the experiences of those who are battling with Seasonal Affective Disorder. May even includes the literary aspect of wintering by weighing the importance of snow in fairy tales, meditating on John Donne's poem "A Nocturnal upon St. Lucy's Day" and Sylvia Plath's "Wintering". May concludes that to welcome winter is to survive it. It is a hopeful and philosophical approach that I found deeply comforting. In a lovely bit of writing, May reveals that in times of distress she likes to travel north. That the cold air feels clean and uncluttered and that she can think straight. I adhere to May's belief that the cold has healing properties. As she writes, "you apply ice to a joint after an awkward fall. Why not do the same to life?" There will always be winters. There will always be periods of sadness and solitude. Therefore, we must prepare for them as best we can. What does this look like in practice? Baking? Soup making? Reading my candlelight in cozy socks? Yes and no. Those things certainly aren't going to hurt your mentality when dealing with winters. However, it is more about recognizing when you need to coil into yourself. Protect yourself. Sleep. Slow down. Grow. Anticipate spring. Feel the turning of the year with gratitude. I was initially drawn to pick up 'Wintering' because winter is my favorite season. Reading May's book was like finally being clued in to the operating tenets of a fan club. May and I speak the same language in our love of winter. She eloquently expresses her appreciation of the season on every page. The solitude of the cold dark. The cleansing power of breathing in the scent of snow. The ritual of lighting a home fire or candles in the long evenings. Of hygge. She is also realistic, blunt, and deeply practical, clearly defining band-aids for confronting winter and actual solutions. If, as you have grown, find that you are sinking into workaholic tendencies, that the highlights of the year (like holidays) pass with little joy and too much stress, if you missing feeling the different seasons and instead seem surprised upon their arrival - this book is for you. If you enjoy cultural studies and nonlinear narrative histories - this book is for you. If you like observant and engaging authors who are honest and not prone to navel-gazing - this book is for you. If you enjoy guided meditations - this book is for you. I would recommend this book to just about everyone. Based on the variety of topics within, the likability of the author, and the intriguing chapter layout, 'Wintering' makes for an engaging read that I already want to reread and buy more copies to giveaway.

To be succinct, this is the best book I’ve read in years. There were passages that had me crying with familiarity and just the right dose of reality. I got a little lost at Stonehenge, and some of May’s stories went on a little too scientifically. But, to that end, she would bring it back home to a concrete truth- life is ever changing, largely crummy, and it’s ok to spend time working it out. In fact, this book showed me I don’t have to dread “winter”. It can be a delicious time of reconnection and rest. Highly recommend.

I read this book because I thought it might help my perspective during the colder seasons living in a colder climate with more elevation. It was so encouraging and really helpful!

There is a reason this book has a lot of good reviews. It is phenomenal. Not in a loud explosion of mind-blowing proportion kind of way. But in a calm introspective way that meanders along a sidewalk in no hurry to get from point A to point B. Reading it causes you to slow down, not because it's difficult to process the words but because you are genuinely curious about where these thoughts will take you. She mentions a lot of thoughts that are deep and meaningful. The personal connectivity to 'literature, mythology, and the natural world...' is fascinating. It feels like literary, emotional, and mental interdigitation. It addresses mental health in a deeply personal and relatable, yet gentle way. I'm currently going through a large transitory time myself and reading this book has helped me feel heard and gave dignity and respect in my choice to live honestly and give myself a reprieve by 'wintering'. It felt like a hug, a warm cup of tea, a snuggly blanket or sweater. It gave me mental rest. I would spend a couple of hours reading, didn't check the clock and while I felt the urge to check my phone, I chose not to. It's real, honest, and authentic.

I admit I found some very comforting -- winter -- after all. There was also lots of educational info that I enjoyed -- but fell short with long diatribes about her life. She clearly is an intelligent and good writer, but this one fell short for me but still saved by some of her warm bromides

Lovely, reflective. A call to slow down. Observe the world around us while acknowledging the world within. A reminder you be gentle with ourselves and others. Gives permission you “winter”, withdraw and rest in chorus with nature.

The author experienced several major life incidents that led her to leave her job. She felt adrift, but was fortunate enough to have the resources to take a step back from life to retreat and rest. Through her experience and her research, she discusses the power of pulling back and hibernation, taking in the quiet to restore her mental and physical health. I enjoyed the book and I think it offers some interesting perspectives as well as some techniques to begin to heal from trauma, but it is not something that everyone has the time or resources to fully experience.

Nada recomendable! Lo dejé a la mitad. Demasiada paja para decir las ideas centrales.

Wintering was a wonderful book. I enjoyed reading it and highly recommend it. We read this as part of our book club and it was well received. 'To get better at wintering, we need to address our very notion of time. We tend to imagine that our lives are linear, but they are in fact cyclical." Katherine May

Too many Words to say things, with an over complicated writing style

I rarely reread books but I suspect I will keep coming back to this one. Beautifully written and so easy to read. It flows and unfurls it's truths of living through difficult times.

Katherine does a beautiful job of bringing out the tools one should harbour in one’s arsenal to weather difficult times. It’s a lovely, languid read, one that I would like to come back to.